Last Resort Babysitter

Participants:

ames_icon.gif marthe_icon.gif barb_icon.gif

Scene Title Last Resort Babysitter
Synopsis Marthe is forced to ask for help from someone she actively dislikes.
Date June 29 - July 2, 2021

Marthe groans in protest. "Do you actually want to see Nana and Grampa?"

Ames shrugs. It was just an idea.

Her mother scrapes at her brow before activating her phone. This is her literal last option.

Garbarbara
Tuesday, June 29, 2021 ᛫ 4:45 PM
Hi Barb, I realize it's late and very short notice, but do you think you could take Ames for the night? I need to get to the hospital to help with overflow as soon as possible.
I would greatly appreciate it. I would call but my calls aren't connecting. Her bag is packed and she's ready to go.
Absolutely. I'm glad you reached out, I was worried.
I'll be there in 20.
Thank you so much.
4:48 pm

“Okay,” she sighs, putting her phone away. “Nana will be here in twenty minutes and then you’re stuck with her for a day.”

Ames sighs sympathetically.

“Don't swear around them. Probably don’t talk about Expressives around them either,” her mother instructs. “They have bad opinions about them. Especially do not talk to them about you being Expressive. Probably also don’t talk to them about Elliot.”

Ames holds up her hands. “Why don’t they like Elliot?” she asks, baffled.

“Because they can be mean,” Marthe says sadly. She doesn’t dwell too long on the fact that she herself has been mean to Elliot lately, though she’s committed to making up for that. She’s punished him enough, and for the life of her she can barely remember why.

“They don’t know he’s my dad?” Ames asks.

Marthe feels much worse, suddenly, and kneels down in front of Ames. “They don’t know a lot of things,” she says. “We’re giving them a chance to be better versions of themselves, but until they prove they are, we don’t want to rankle them.”

“What’s rankle mean?” Ames asks. Marthe’s face rankles in demonstration. “Cranky baby face,” Ames says in understanding.

“I love you, Ames,” Marthe says to her daughter’s embarrassment, though she does receive a powerful hug.


June 29, 2021 ᛫ 6:20 pm
Hi Martha it's Barb again I just needed to check in and let you know we received evacuation orders here. I'm sure it's temporary but especially since we have Ames here we want to be safe than sorry and are going to go. Thanks from Barb
June 29, 2021 ᛫ 7:45 pm
Thank you for letting me know. It’s getting hectic here and I won’t be able to check my phone regularly but please keep me updated on where you are and how she’s doing.
I really appreciate this.
7:46 pm

Marthe’s face rankles at the typo, but she responds with a patience that she’s already been struggling to maintain here in the chaos of Elmhurst hospital. These few seconds are a luxury, and she deposits her phone in the locker and gets back to work.


June 30, 2021 ᛫ 12:21 am
Sorry for earlier, I used voice text because we were in a rush. We're safe and out of town overnight. Signal is bad here but I will text tomorrow with updates.

Marthe’s face rankles. “What,” she says “a fucking bitch.”

“Who?” asks an exhausted coworker as they shrug out of the bunks they’re napping in.

“Barb, my mother in law, refuses to say my name correctly,” she says, too exasperated to respond at the moment. “Marthe sounds literally fucking nothing like Martha. I’m going to start calling her Bob. Maybe borrow one from Elliot and just call her Horsefucker from now on.”

“Ugh,” the coworker commiserates.


June 30, 2021 ᛫ 6:40 pm
Ames is doing really well. The roads aren't clear yet, so we're going to try again tomorrow.
June 30, 2021 ᛫ 6:55 pm
I tried calling on a break but no calls are getting through. Please tell her I love her.
I'm at the beginning of a second 24-hour shift, things are still really bad here but I appreciate you keeping my baby safe.
Please let me know when you get back into the area.
6:57 pm

Marthe knows she’s going to be here much longer than she wants to be. Staying focussed on the work is hard, but she’s not so insecure as to constantly check her phone for updates. Barb and Gregory have one chance to make a good impression here. She’ll give them that, because Wright doesn’t know what she wants from them. In the end, she’s certain Wright will happily cut ties if her parents take this opportunity and fuck it up.


July 1, 2021 ᛫ 4:00 pm
We heard up here there are some issues around our place, so we ended up staying here another day. All the better since it still seems like you're busy.
Ames spent a lot of time outside today. I think this all has been good for her, rather than being in the middle of all that down there. Greg and I are really glad she's here with us. It's been a lot less to worry about.
4:02 pm
July 1, 2021 ᛫ 5:20 pm
I'm glad she's been able to see the outdoors, I have not.
At this point it looks like I'll be here until sometime tomorrow.
Ames's bag has to be exhausted by now. Are you on your way back into the Safe Zone?
5:22 pm

Marthe clutches her phone hard enough to worry about breaking it, imagining maybe doing the same to Barb. She knows the frustration is misplaced, she’s glad Ames is somewhere safe right now, even if she’s going to have to spend hours undoing the psychological damage her grandparents do to her on this evacuation vacation. She misses Ames fiercely, but the work here still needs doing.


July 1, 2021 ᛫ 9:50 pm
We're picking up some new clothes for her. Don't worry, she's in good hands.
July 2, 2021 ᛫ 1:45 pm
I’m done here within the hour, can you bring Ames to me at Elmhurst?
July 2, 2021 ᛫ 2:29 pm
Done here, I will come to you if that’s easier.
July 2, 2021 ᛫ 2:40 pm
Where the fuck are you, Barb?
received

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